Golf ball cleaner



Sept.' 2, 1952 J. R. DUFF GOLF BALL CLEANER Filed Aug. s, 194e INVENTOR.

2a/'ma Duff.

Patentt Sept. 2, 1.9252

inventiongrelates to azr'device..forzncleaning golftballs.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a manually Voperable device for cleaning golf balls.

A further object otftherinvention is.the;.pro

vision of a device for cleaning-igolf balls land `incorporatingv a liquid receptaclef and -brush combination which may be conveniently held in lone 1; vA-fstillfurtherpbject ofthe-'invention is vrthe j provision of 'agolf-ballcleaning-device which may v"be economically formedV and which will efficiently perform its y,intendedfunction. i

The ,golf ball cleaningdevice shown and vde- ,ascribed herein has beenjdes'ignedto form a simple and inexpensive appliance of a portable; nature which may be conveniently carried by'a golfer and used to simply and efficiently clean a golf ball.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise ernbodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the golf ball cleaning device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the golf ball cleaning device.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of a modified form of the golf ball cleaning device.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section of the golf ball cleaning device taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that a golf ball cleaning device has been illustrated which consists of a body member I preferably formed of an elastic material such as rubber and including a. liquid reservoir I I which is filled with a liquid abrasive material such as a sponge and indicated by the numeral I2. The upper portion of the body member I0 is provided with an annular rib `,2 claims. (creia-aras) 5 "tufts'ofbrush-like bristlesmayl be formev matically positioned on thelirre'gulasiirfac v I3'iwliich;forms anfannularf-innerlfcha *fatina reception of*theperiphery of afdis L-le't2" formed as a dependingtmembev j-unctionwith the lannula'r-lip 'I'S-to' golf ball cleaning device t'o` The outer surface of the golf --vic`e -is provided v'with andrregular surfac as shown` inz Figure -25 offthefdrawingsifand ndi-i Y cated lby thel'numeral' 2 I. "This irregulariirface:

the annular'iribll' I 3; i forms: conveni'entilmea holding the golfball=cleaning devicei'n`v` tern 2| between the lip I9 and the rib I3.

In operating the golf ball cleaning device,- it will be obvious that it may be grasped in the hand of the user and the golf ball I8 held in the ngers of the users other hand and, due to the formation of the device from distortable material, it may be distorted to cause liquid in the reservoir I I to move upwardly through the -orice I6 in the disc I5 and into the area of the tufts I1 of the bristle-like material which willl in connection with the liquid, provide a convenient meansv of scrubbing the golf ball as it is rotated in the uppermost end of the golf ball cleaning device.

The golf ball may be held between the users fingers and the cleaning device rotated or moved about the ball to effect a complete cleaning operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications in the golf ball cleaning device hereinbefore disclosed may be made and two such modifications are illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings wherein a golf ball cleaning device consisting of a body 22 is illustrated. The lower half of the body member 22 forms a liquid receiving chamber 23 and the lowermost portion of the body 22 has an annular downturned flange 24 thereon forming a hat, lower surface 25 to enable the golf ball cleaning device to be stood upright on any supporting article. The upper portion of the body 22 is provided with an anthe sponge-like abrasive containing material 39 and hence into contact with a golf ball, shown in dotted line representation and indicated by the numeral 3|.

In this form of the invention, the cleansing liquid is moved by manually distorting the body member 22 to force the liquid up through'the orice 29. The sponge-like material 30 may conlsist of ,sponge rubber, natural sponge, spongelike material formed of a synthetic resin of natural resin. base, or any other material through V which the liquid may travel, and whichV material possesses the desired degree of frictional engagement with the surface of thegolf bali 3l to enable thesoil andother discoloration to be re- Amoved fromthe golf ball without harming the paint thereof.l

In Figure 4 of the drawings a horizontal cross section of the device illustrated in Figure 3 is shownand theorice 29 is disclosed as being centrally located with respect to the disc 28 positioned in the body member 22. It will be obvious that one or more of the orifices 29 may be provided, if desired.

It will thus be seen that a simple and eflicient golf ball cleaning device has been disclosed which may be simply and economically formed and vhence sold to golfers at a reasonable price. In

operation, the golf ball cleaning device will satisfactorily clean a golf ball, and, by reason of its size and weight, be portable to the extent of being attachable ,to a golf vbag and carried about a golfcourse so as to be available vfor use at any Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A golf ball cleaner comprising an elongated distortable tubular body member closed at its bottom end and open at its top end and having an annular groove formed in the wall thereof inwardly from the top end thereof, a disc-like partition having a plurality of orifices therein and engaged in said annular` groove, tufts of suitable bristles in a majority of said orifices, the upper free ends'of'said tufts being shaped'and arranged to form a spherical cavity and positioned Wholly within said body member and for frictionally engaging a golf ball for cleaning the same, said closed end of the body member beneath the disclike partition defining a, liquid receptacle in communication with said spherical cavity through at least one of said orices.

2. A golf ball cleaner as set forth in claim 1 and further characterized by the formation of the disc-like partition from distortable material.

J OI-IN Rr'DUFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe iile of this patent:

lUNITFD STATES PATENTS Date 

